Based in Frederick, Maryland, Digital Ink & Parchment is a blog by Alexandria Pallat. Her posts explore the integration of faith in every day life.

Apr 22 How To Come Back After A Lapse In Your Goal

We all trip up in our goals. We think “oh, it’s been going so well, I don’t need to worry about that anymore.” Until we do. Until we feel like we are farther from our goal than we hoped we would be. Until we’re so far off that we can’t see hope of achieving that goal again. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up! It means you press forward. How?

Evaluate your goal

Why was that the goal you established? Do you need a new goal? If not, what steps can you take this time to move you forward?

I got off track with my Wellness Coaching business. I was unmotivated. I was doing my workouts, but I was struggling to follow through this nutrition, so I wasn’t seeing results. This made me feel even more unmotivated. This went on for a month before I realized what was wrong. One, I was slipping into a small depressive episode. Two, I had never set a true goal for myself in the first place. (I thought I had, but it wasn’t measurable.) Of course I didn’t want to work toward anything—I didn’t know what I was working toward!

So, take a look at the goal you set. Is it achievable? Is it measurable?

Evaluate yourself

For me, I realized I was unmotivated because I was slipping into an episode. The irony in that is that exercise and good nutrition, paired with spiritual food, are what help me to navigate those episodes. I had never taken the time to look at myself to see what was going on, so I thought I was pressing forward but I was really just going through the motions. It explained why I was so upset when I would exercise.

Sometimes we forget that our spiritual health is part of our physical health and vise versa. God made us, all parts of us, so nothing we do is separate from Him. And we shouldn’t try to separate them. It’s important to look at yourself. How are you feeling? Are you spending enough time with God? How often do you go outside? You didn’t reach that goal the first time for a reason. Really take a look at why. (And, believe me, it’s not because you’re a bad person or you just suck at reaching goals. It’s always something deeper.)

Make a plan, make a habit

Take what you learned from your goal evaluation and self evaluation and develop a plan for goal achievement. Maybe that means you turn off the TV at night and go to bed earlier so you can wake up earlier and exercise (that’s me, 100%). Prep your meals in advance. Make your health—mental, physical, and spiritual—a priority. Those components make up who you are, and they shouldn’t be taken lightly. Maybe that means playing worship music during your workout or setting aside time in your day to do a Bible study or listen to an inspiring podcast. Whatever it is, plan it. When you plan it into your schedule, you’re more likely to do it. And when you do it enough, it becomes a habit.

When we fall behind on our goals, we tend to beat ourselves up. We may even throw in the towel. Don’t do that! Let your momentary lapse be the thing that makes you pause, reassess, and press on. Your body and your spirit are trying to tell you something. You just have to listen.